Heather Latter
New Gold and the Métis Nation of Ontario made history last week as the two parties signed a participation agreement with respect to the development and operation of the proposed Rainy River gold mine project located north of Barwick.
“What a historic event this is for our region and for the Métis Nation of Ontario,” said Theresa Stenlund, Region 1 councillor with MNO, during the event Thursday morning at the Métis Hall here.
“This is a very important agreement,” echoed Robert Gallagher, president, CEO, and director of New Gold.
“It truly is a remarkable agreement, a historical one, and one we are extremely proud of,” noted MNO president Gary Lipinski.
Stenlund said MNO’s initial consultation began in 2010 with Rainy River Resources.
From there, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Rainy River Resources in June, 2013, with negotiations beginning with New Gold back in February.
Stenlund acknowledged the regional consultation committee, which was comprised of the four community council presidents—Joel Henley (Kenora), Marlene Davidson (Atikokan), and Val Pelepetz (Fort Frances), and Alvina Cimon (Dryden).
Pelepetz, Davidson, and Henley were on hand for the signing while Cimon was not.
Stenlund also recognized Dean McMahon (Captain of the Hunt) and MNO’s legal counsel Jason Madden.
“Together we had a great consultation committee, negotiating team, and we worked very diligently on the citizens’ behalf negotiating and meeting with the New Gold staff,” Stenlund said.
“So I want to thank everyone for the journey we’ve been on and New Gold for where we are today.”
Gallagher said prior to New Gold coming onto the project, Rainy River Resources did a tremendous job in developing relationships in the community and really ensuring the community knew what was going on at the site.
“New Gold has a set of values and they are just single words, things like commitment and probably the most important is integrity,” he remarked.
“Integrity to all of us means doing the right thing.
“And one of the right things to do when you operate a mine . . . is really maximize the involvement of the community, right from day one, from exploration, through construction, development, and operation of the mine,” Gallagher stressed.
“One of the things our agreement does is it really formalizes that commitment to local participation—participation of the member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, in this case.”
Gallagher noted the agreement includes provisions on how the local Métis community will benefit from the development of the Rainy River project and throughout the life of the mine, including employment and business opportunities, training and education initiatives, and financial participation.
“It talks about commitments the company is making to developing infrastructure and social facilities,” he explained.
“Those things will go beyond the life of the mine.
“We are here for the life of the mine, which right now is something like 17 years and it always goes longer, but eventually we’ll all go away,” Gallagher conceded.
“This is your home. You’ve been here for centuries and you’ll be here for centuries to come.
“We’ll only have operated with integrity if when we’re gone,you people and your descendants can say, ‘They were here for a while, they’re gone now, but we’re sure glad they were there.’”
Gallagher vowed that New Gold wants to “contribute to leaving the community in a better place than it was before we got here.”
He also indicated another important aspect of the agreement is the communication protocol.
“We’re going to be doing some pretty big things up there and it’s really important that your members know what is happening, and it’s really important that we know what the concerns are,” Gallagher stressed.
“So there is a whole protocol about who talks to who, how often, about what.
“The idea is to keep dialogues going as we go forward,” he explained.
But Gallagher said the most important piece of the agreement speaks to the environment.
“There are a whole number of commitments in the agreement in terms of monitoring the environment, of getting input from the membership on what we’re doing in the environment,” he remarked.
“And making sure that all of you are very well aware as we proceed with the mine in how we care for the environment so that when we’re gone, you just won’t see any impact from the mine environmentally.”
Lipinski said environmental monitoring also was a high priority for the MNO.
He stressed the organization wanted to ensure the protection of the waters and rivers and surrounding area, which is so much of who the Métis people are, would be protected and secured going forward.
“[The agreement] certainly reflects the values I know that I personally hold, and I think are integral to the MNO,” Lipinski said.
“And through the work we’re seen with New Gold, I believe New Gold has, as well.
“And those values are simply this—we all live in this area, this is all home to many of us,” Lipinski added.
“We’re all neighbours, friends, and family,” he noted. “When there is a development in the area, we should take the approach that there doesn’t have to be winners and losers.
“We can all benefit from the opportunities and bounties of our region.”
Lipinski said the agreement also creates wonderful opportunities for the regional Métis community—and for Métis businesses.
“There is opportunities for supporting and encouraging our youth and children,” he remarked, noting there will be bursary enhancements at Lakehead University and Confederation College going forward and as long as the mine is operational.
“Undoubtably the opportunities for employment, for Métis businesses to have access to those jobs and opportunities, is something we have worked hard for years and we are quite thankful we are here at this point,” Lipinski stressed.
“But I think from a larger perspective, our region has gone through some difficult times . . . and it’s something I know our Métis community has been looking forward to, and certainly the larger region, as well, to welcoming some development coming forward that will be stimulus for our region.
“Not to mention the spin-off related jobs that will come from that.
“So we are welcoming the opportunities that New Gold will bring not only to our Métis community, but to the larger region,” Lipinski said.
Gallagher said the Rainy River project is expected to start construction early next year, provided the company gets the necessary permits in place.
“Those seem to be progressing quite well and we hope to have those at the end of this year or early next year to enable us to start construction early next year,” he explained.
“Then it will take two years to build the mine.
“You’ll see a lot of temporary construction workers coming here, and part of our agreement is that there are commitments by the company that certain parts of the project will be built by Métis companies,” Gallagher noted.
“But longer term . . . there will be a lot of jobs created.
“We will do a lot of training,” he added. “We will hopefully work with you as planned to employ your existing businesses, and hopefully develop additional businesses that will go on well beyond the life of the mine.”
All three speakers recognized the negotiating teams and leadership that made the agreement possible.
“It’s a wonderful example of the success we can achieve by working together, and it’s certainly a testament of what brings us here today,” Lipinski enthused.
“I think we developed mutual trust on both sides,” agreed Gallagher, adding New Gold realizes it is coming in and making a lot of promises.
“But basically we’re asking you to trust us,” he remarked. “That takes time to develop and I think we are there.
“The way the negotiations proceeded in a very timely manner, very professionally, not easy—often times we had difference—but we worked through those,” Gallagher added.
“It’s been a journey but this is really only the first step of that journey and we’ve got many years ahead of us, and I very much look forward to those,” he said.
Following the signing of the agreement, those on hand were treated to fiddle music by Katelyne Stenlund, as well as some jigging and lunch.
